#"Depression symptoms"

[onefite]

10 Common Symptoms of a Mental Breakdown

10 Common Symptoms of a Mental Breakdown Introduction Feeling overwhelmed or having a tough time coping? You’re not alone. Many of us go through periods where it feels like the world is crashing down around us. This state often signals a mental breakdown, a term that describes a period of intense mental distress. During this time, managing day-to-day tasks can feel impossible. By understanding…

Vezi pe WordPress

[vixensofdeath]

I am so tired and burnt out, I don’t even know what I’m doing anymore

[kissme-withyour-cherrylipstick]

I finished the Merlin fic that has been consuming my life for the past 8 months. It's 196k words. Time to start the editing phase

[exodusx]

Why I can’t remember happy memories of my childhood?

[thestrongeststars]

Maarva: What are the symptoms of teenage depression? Clem: Why are you asking me? Maarva: Cass was doing laundry and he dropped a sock and I heard him say 'why have the gods forsaken me'

[narutomaki]

watched a video where the author said (not exactly) "and (x) number of people will die today if I felt as much for them as I did over losing a family member I wouldn't be able to function"

and was briefly and momentarily (thank god) seized with the gut wrenching pain of thinking about everyone around the world who died ever lol.

any way.

[handmade-witch]

part 5 baby!! Slytherin boys x Incorrect Quote Generaror~

Part 1 ☆ Part 2 ☆ Part 3 ☆ Part 4 ☆ Part 6

Draco: Hey, are you free?

Blaise: No, I’m expensive.

☆☆☆

Mattheo: Go fuck yourself.

Lorenzo: Come over here and fuck me yourself you coward!

☆☆☆

Mattheo: BE A BETTER PERSON!

[Y/N]: WHY?!

Mattheo: BECAUSE SOMEONE NEEDS TO HAVE MORALS IN THIS RELATIONSHIP, AND IT SURE AS FUCK AIN'T GONNA BE ME, SWEETHEART!

☆☆☆

Draco: *venting endlessly to Mattheo about their week*

Mattheo, every once in a while: *in a monotone* Wow, that is so wild.

☆☆☆

Mattheo: Astrology is fun because I can pretend that all of my behaviors are just a result of being a Gemini and not symptoms of mental illness.

[Y/N]: Being a Gemini is a mental illness. That’s not hate it’s just a fact.

☆☆☆

Blaise: What are you doing here?

Draco: I could ask you the same question.

Blaise: I live here. This is my house.

Draco: I should probably ask you a different question.

☆☆☆

*Lorenzo and [Y/N] texting*

Lorenzo: Come downstairs and talk to me please. I'm lonely.

[Y/N]: Isn't Mattheo there?

Lorenzo: Yes but I like you more.

☆☆☆

Theodore, about Mattheo: I could fix them, but honestly whatever the hell is wrong with them is way funnier.

Draco: That's what any god probably thinks about me.

☆☆☆

Lorenzo: From now on we will be using code names.

Lorenzo: You can address me as Eagle One.

Lorenzo: Draco is “been there done that”.

Lorenzo: [Y/N] is “currently doing that”.

Lorenzo: Blaise is “it happened once in a dream”.

Lorenzo: Mattheo is “if I had to pick a(nother) dude.”

Lorenzo: And Theodore is..

Lorenzo: Eagle Two

Theodore: Oh thank god.

☆☆☆

Blaise: Anyone d-

[Y/N]: Depressed?

Theodore: Drained?

Lorenzo: Dumb?

Mattheo: Disliked?

Blaise: -done with their work... what is wrong with you people...

☆☆☆

Draco: I dare you-

[Y/N]: Mattheo is not allowed to accept dares anymore.

Draco: Why not?

Mattheo: "I have no regard for my own or others personal safety", as some would say.

☆☆☆

Theodore, at [Y/N]: Would you like to stay for dinner?

Mattheo, from the kitchen: Would you like to stay forever!?!

☆☆☆

[Y/N]: Do you ever want to talk about your emotions, Theodore?

Theodore: No.

Lorenzo: I do!

[Y/N]: I know, Lorenzo.

Lorenzo: I’m sad.

[Y/N]: I know, Lorenzo.

☆☆☆

Mattheo: Ooh, somebody has a crush

Theodore: Pfft, I don’t have a crush on [Y/N] I just think they’re cool, it’s not like I stay up at night thinking about them.

*Later that night*

Theodore, very much awake: Uh oh.

☆☆☆

Kidnapper: I have one of your friends.

[Y/N]: Which one? I have six.

Kidnapper: The loud, annoying, rowdy one who never shuts up.

[Y/N] Which one? I have six.

Pansy, distantly: HEY!!!

☆☆☆

Mattheo: I have very high standards, you know.

Theodore: I can make spaghetti...

Mattheo: Oh no! You're meeting all my standards!

☆☆☆

Blaise: You bought a taco?

Draco: Yes.

Blaise: From the same truck that hit Lorenzo?!

Draco, with a mouthful of taco: Well, me starving ain't gonna help them.

☆☆☆

Mattheo: In alcohol’s defense, I’ve done some pretty dumb shit while completely sober too.

☆☆☆

Theodore: Can you be serious for five minutes?

Lorenzo: My record is four, but I think I can do it.

[theizzy102]

Resident Lover Incorrect Quotes pt.3!!: Kerchow

===============================

Cassandra: MC has a good heart

Bela: Yes, I've noticed you staring at her 'good heart.'

-

MC: You're cute when you get angry.

Donna: [glares]

MC: But not when you're angry with me.

-

MC: I wrote a song for you.

Angie: That's so sweet!

MC: It's me screaming for 3 minutes straight because I was late for class after you reset my alarm.

-

MC: I accidentally broke one of the arms on Alcina’s sculpture. How long do you think I'll live?

Daniela: Ten

MC: Ten what?

Daniela: Nine

-

Bela: I regret ever gifting you that blender.

Angie, drinking a sandwich: Aww, why?

-

MC: Your hair is a mess.

Daniela: You should see my life.

-

Cassandra: What are the symptoms of depression?

Daniela: Why are you asking me?

Cassandra: Bela was doing laundry earlier and she dropped a sock and said "why has god forsaken me"

-

Alcina: If all of your friends jumped off a bridge, woul-

Daniela: Probably.

-

Daniela: Bela won't come out of the bathroom.

Cassandra: Just tell her I said something.

Daniela: Like what?

Cassandra: Anything factually incorrect.

Bela, arriving a few minutes later: Did you just say that the sun is a fucking planet?

-

MC: So the ingredients are just butter, flour, milk, and updog.

Donna: What's updog?

MC, yelling into the next room: ANGIE I TOLD YOU I COULD DO IT!!

=================================

Leave a like for next part!!

[rewcana]

List of Traits that are Common Amongst Autistic People

i compiled a list of traits, symptoms, behaviors, etc (largely sourced from the book "Unmasking Autism" by Devon Price) that occur in autistic ppl at high rates. it's crazy how many of these i identify with. i think having them all in one place may be helpful to some people.

List:

-Substance abuse & addiction

-Eating disorders

-Rejection sensitivity

-Digestive issues

-Sleeping disorders

-Depression

-Anxiety

-Social anxiety

-Eczema

-Dyslexia

-Dissociation

-People pleasing

-Personality disorders

-Audio processing problems

-Joint issues

-Issues with coordination

-Stimming

-Executive dysfunction

-OCD

-ADHD

-Gender dysphoria

-Difficulty with emotional regulation

-Frequent crying or never crying

-Hyperfixations

-Sensory issues

-Sensory overload

-Extreme burnout

-Safe foods

-Safe / comfort items

-Self harming behaviors

-Difficulty regulating noise level

-Being non binary / gender nonconforming

-Difficulty understanding people's intentions / feelings when communicating

-Melt downs / break downs

-Shut downs (akin to dissociation)

-Nonverbal (completely/ partially)

-Diluted sense of identity

-Paranoia

-Catering and changing personality/ behavior to match a social setting (form of masking)

-Studying and analyzing social behavior to mimic it / understand how people are feeling

-Hypervigilance

-Insecure attachments

-Fear of vulnerability

-Prone to abusive relationships

-Special interests

-Rigid schedules

-Difficulty dealing with change in plans

-Sensory seeking / sensory avoidant behaviors

Following are quoted directly from "Unmasking Autism" by Devon Price

-Intense studying of a new favorite topic

-Needing to know exactly what to expect before entering an unfamiliar situation

-Not noticing sounds or social signals when focusing on an engrossing task

-Sticking to a very rigid schedule, and rejecting deviations to that schedule

-Taking a long time to think before responding to a complex question

-Spending hours or days alone sleeping and recharging after a socially demanding event or stressful project

-Needing “all the information” before coming to a decision

-Not knowing how they feel, or needing a few days to figure out how they feel about something

-Needing a rule or instruction to “make sense” before they can follow it

-Not putting energy toward expectations that seem unfair or arbitrary, such as wearing makeup or elaborate grooming

[onefite]

10 Common Symptoms of a Mental Breakdown

10 Common Symptoms of a Mental Breakdown Introduction Feeling overwhelmed or having a tough time coping? You’re not alone. Many of us go through periods where it feels like the world is crashing down around us. This state often signals a mental breakdown, a term that describes a period of intense mental distress. During this time, managing day-to-day tasks can feel impossible. By understanding…

[vixensofdeath]

the urge to die and become nothing becomes stronger every day

[lovealexhunt]

If you've followed me for any length of time, you would know that mental health awareness and suicide prevention are two topics that I hold very close to my heart.

I've struggled with depression and anxiety since I was a child. My parents didn't believe in mental health challenges and so my struggles were ignored and I was made to feel as though my struggles weren't real and something was wrong with me. I buried my mental health issues, hiding behind a mask of perfectionism and over-achieving. Those I saw in school or work, never know how greatly I struggled. However, hiding how I felt only made things worse and I struggled with suicide thoughts and attempts for a few years before finally seeing a doctor to get help.

I take medication for both depression and anxiety. These medications help take the edge off but they're not a cure. They aren't a magic pill that makes everything okay again. But they help and for that I am grateful.

I still struggle with depression and anxiety on a daily basis. There are days when the suicide thoughts creep back out, but through my experiences and working to raise awareness, I feel strong enough to remind myself they are just thoughts and I don't have to act on them. I hope that if it ever got that bad again, I would use some of the strategies from above: focusing on creative works, reaching out to others, trying to find reasons to be grateful.

Thinking positively or thinking "happy thoughts" is not easy. Sometimes I see and encouraging quote and they make me mad because I can't feel that way right now, but I still save them, because maybe tomorrow, that little reminder will be just what i need.

If you know me, I believe in the small little acts to make a difference. I've been making mental health awareness and suicide prevention posts for several years now, but I don't think I've ever had an image dedicated to small acts of kindness.

We don't know what anyone is facing (in person or virtually/online). With some, spotting signs of depression and suicidal tendencies is easier to spot. These individuals display more common signs and symptoms. But there are many more people who are high-functioning. On the surface, they seem put together, but underneath they are struggling. It is because of this that I so strongly believe in little acts of kindness: sending an encouraging word, checking in on others, giving little compliments here and there... these are small things, but you never know how big of an impact they can make.

Please continue to raise and spread awareness for depression and suicide prevention. It's only together that we can make a difference.

[theconstitutionisgayculture]

Soon after my arrival at the Transgender Center, I was struck by the lack of formal protocols for treatment. The center’s physician co-directors were essentially the sole authority.

At first, the patient population was tipped toward what used to be the “traditional” instance of a child with gender dysphoria: a boy, often quite young, who wanted to present as—who wanted to be—a girl. 

Until 2015 or so, a very small number of these boys comprised the population of pediatric gender dysphoria cases. Then, across the Western world, there began to be a dramatic increase in a new population: Teenage girls, many with no previous history of gender distress, suddenly declared they were transgender and demanded immediate treatment with testosterone. 

I certainly saw this at the center. One of my jobs was to do intake for new patients and their families. When I started there were probably 10 such calls a month. When I left there were 50, and about 70 percent of the new patients were girls. Sometimes clusters of girls arrived from the same high school. 

This concerned me, but didn’t feel I was in the position to sound some kind of alarm back then. There was a team of about eight of us, and only one other person brought up the kinds of questions I had. Anyone who raised doubts ran the risk of being called a transphobe. 

The girls who came to us had many comorbidities: depression, anxiety, ADHD, eating disorders, obesity. Many were diagnosed with autism, or had autism-like symptoms. A report last year on a British pediatric transgender center found that about one-third of the patients referred there were on the autism spectrum.

Frequently, our patients declared they had disorders that no one believed they had. We had patients who said they had Tourette syndrome (but they didn’t); that they had tic disorders (but they didn’t); that they had multiple personalities (but they didn’t). 

The doctors privately recognized these false self-diagnoses as a manifestation of social contagion. They even acknowledged that suicide has an element of social contagion. But when I said the clusters of girls streaming into our service looked as if their gender issues might be a manifestation of social contagion, the doctors said gender identity reflected something innate.

To begin transitioning, the girls needed a letter of support from a therapist—usually one we recommended—who they had to see only once or twice for the green light. To make it more efficient for the therapists, we offered them a template for how to write a letter in support of transition. The next stop was a single visit to the endocrinologist for a testosterone prescription. 

That’s all it took. 

Archive here

Read this whole thing. What I quoted is just the tip of the iceberg. We were right about everything.

[woodlaflababab]

Aang, Psychology, and the Concept of “Running Away” (A Breakdown Of Aang's Trauma Responses)

So, one thing that always kind of threw me off about atla was Aang's ignoration and dismissiveness of the things that have happened to him and continue to happen to him. He never seemed to have any kind of trauma response (besides nightmares).

Recently I've realized that the ignoration is Aang's trauma response, and it runs pretty fucking deep. Aang shows a lot of trauma responses but they are not as noticeable because Aang is also ridiculously good at emotional regulation, to a toxic point imo, and probably due to his upbringing by monks.

Aang, as is pretty well covered by the show, has a problem with trying to 'run away’ from his problems. This steadily stops happening as much throughout Book 2 (though he is learning in Book 1), but what's interesting is, while his tendency to physically run away from problems ends, his tendency to emotionally run away increases.

We go from Book 1 in which Aang confides in Katara about the separation from the monks, to Book 2 in which Aang literally actively rejects attempts at comfort in favor of an emotional shut down, to Book 3 where, after the failed invasion, Aang immediately tries just about anything he can to avoid talking about it.

He's not necessarily 'running away’. He still owns up to his duty and is right on the ball when Zuko shows up to teach firebending. It is not the work he shies from, it is specifically talking about the failure. This is Aang's main trauma response. Before I delve deeper into that though, I want to talk about Aang's other trauma responses that get bypassed thanks to his ability to ignore them.

Quoting ‘What is Child Traumatic Stress’, “Traumatic reactions can include a variety of responses, including intense and ongoing emotional upset, depressive symptoms, anxiety, behavioral changes, difficulties with attention, academic difficulties, nightmares, physical symptoms such as difficulty sleeping and eating, and aches and pains, among others.”

Aang shows almost all of these at one point or another, and typically they show themselves when he finds himself incapable of mentally 'running away.’

Intense and Ongoing Emotional Upset: 

I'm mostly eyeing the avatar state episodes. His immediate reaction to traumatic events he is helpless to is explosive anger, but it fails to be ongoing because it is immediately followed by a shut down. 

- Aang on Zuko's boat. In this episode, while fighting with Zuko, Aang shows some pretty intense fear and his first (technically second) experience with the Avatar state is for survival and driven by fear (also, notably, a repeat experience of the same thing that caused the actual first experience). Yet, as soon as Aang is off of Zuko's boat, he's melancholy for a hot second and then turns on a dime and starts talking about the adventures they can go on. Avatar State -> Shut Down/dismissing or ignoring the problem.

- Aang at the Southern Air Temple. He starts off in deep obvious denial, like this kid is so obviously blocking. Then he sees Gyatso's body, goes into a rage and grief induced Avatar state, gets pulled out, can no longer use denial as his mental defense, and so once again turns to shut down. He's expressionless as he comes down, and when he's fully out he's just kind of tired and speaks with a soft almost toneless quality. He's admitting to the trauma and yet there's a numb resignation to it. He's not emotionally connecting with it. We see him after with Momo and Appa smiling and just being like “we gotta stick together :)”. That's not the appropriate response to admitting there's only three survivors of your home. Avatar State -> Shut down/dismissal

- Aang and General Fong. Aang experiences an extremely distressing and helpless situation while he watches Katara, one of two whole people in his life, be buried. He goes into a rage induced Avatar state, again, and then literally 'nope's out of the situation with help from Roku. And when he comes back, he shuts down. He doesn't react emotionally, he once again speaks in that soft, even, almost dead tone, apologizes, and dismisses the event. I mean, the way he addresses General Fong, the person who just caused this whole thing, is extremely chill, almost uncharacteristic. Just a simple, “you're out of your mind” with a tone that could make you think he was having a casual conversation with someone who just suggested eating cereal out of a cup. And then he's good! Momo comes back and he smiles and everything is all good again. Avatar State -> Shut down/dismissal.

- Then we have the desert, one of the few times Aang does not shut down immediately, but then it culminates in the Avatar State and he stays like that for a bit but once he comes down, his faces changes again, to what is almost resignation, like he's given up on being mad, which really, he has as we see later. And then the next episode and he's playing in some water, but as soon as Sokka brings up Appa, we see the face and tone that's now kind of familiar: soft, dead, dismissive. He's once again refusing to emotionally connect and is downplaying it. Avatar State -> shut down/dismissal.

Depressive Symptoms/Anxiety:

He shows fits of both, though these aren't as evident because, again, most of the time he's in an emotional block and ignoring the problems. But when he cannot ignore the absence of his lifelong companion, he has a long period of anger followed by a numb depressive state, he literally talks about giving up hope. He is entirely hopeless at this point.

And then when he cannot ignore the Day of Black Sun coming in a few days, his anxiety goes through the fucking roof. 

However, these don't last long and that'll connect to me talking about emotional regulation later.

Behavioral Changes:

Aang changes A Lot over the course of the series. Book 1 Aang is very distinct from Book 3 Aang (though we still see the core traits of him throughout). He becomes more hyper focused on doing his duty, tends to fall to the background when he can, generally takes on a much more somber demeanor.

Difficulties With Attention:

This one's not really huge. He has about the same amount of attention focus in Book 3 as he does Book 1, if not improvement.

Nightmares:

I don't think I have to explain this. Aang goes through multiple fits of nightmares.

Difficulties Sleeping or Eating:

Once again, I look to Nightmares and Daydreams, one of the few times Aang is unable to shut down or block. He cannot sleep for the life of him. I have plans to go back and pay attention to eating habits in Book 3 in order to potentially add onto this joke meta, but I would not be surprised if there were signs of a lowered appetite, even if the writers did not intend it.

Aches and Pains:

He doesn't ever complain about this but also like, would he? Even if he was experiencing them? Kid tried to fight people and fly through a storm while newly recovering from a lightning injury. Aang gives no shits.

Then the article also covers childhood PTSD diagnoses which I'd also like to go over real quick. “the child continues to re-experience the event through nightmares, flashbacks, or other symptoms for more than a month after the original experience; the child has what we call avoidance or numbing symptoms—he or she won’t think about the event, has memory lapses, or maybe feels numb in connection with the events—and the child has feelings of arousal, such as increased irritability, difficulty sleeping, or others.”

Most of these I just covered, but I think it's notable that numbness is also mentioned here, the exact symptoms I've been talking about. Avoidant, won't think about it, numb in connection.

And just to be sure that everyone is on board let me go through some other examples of Aang shutting down:

Katara brings up the 100 years and Aang immediately blocks that shit. It's literally too big for him to conceptualize, so he dismisses it as okay because he has a new friend now and moves on and doesn't think about it.

The Northern Air Temple. I think most people agree that the lesson in that episode was wrong. Aang had every right to be angry. There's nothing okay about taking over and destroying 100 year old artifacts of a nearly extinct culture. We see Aang react to this with a numbness. There's even a moment where he's just frozen and uncomprehending. “This place is unbelievable.” “Yeah. It's great isn't it?” “No, just unbelievable.” He reacts with anger later (notably when he feels like he can do something instead of being helpless), and then when he can no longer do anything, he once again just rejects any negative emotional turmoil in favor of that “it's fine” attitude and accepts what the people have done.

Then the desert, one of the few places we don't see him shut down immediately. Except, literally the next episode is all about Aang's hardest shut down yet.

There are other examples but I think you get the point. He does this A Lot.

Okay cool, so we've covered the denial and trauma responses part, but how does emotional regulation play into this?

I'm glad you asked.

So, when I was first considering Aang and this whole thing, I thought Aang exhibited emotional dysregulation, especially in regards to the Avatar State, but then I actually did some learning on emotional dysregulation and realized, actually, no, he doesn't. Emotional dysregulation is mostly characterized by emotional responses being out of proportion with the event, but I think we can all agree, pm every time he goes into the Avatar State, that emotional response is uh, rather warranted. Now, Aang does, in these moments, show the lack of control that can come with emotional dysregulation, but also like, who wouldn't.

Considering Aang's behavior outside of the Avatar State Outbursts, he's actually very good at emotional regulation. Scary good, in fact. Number One in the reasons I say this is everything I said above. The ability to shut down is often an active choice. Aang does not like who he is when he is upset and, outside the initial outburst, has a pretty firm grip on his emotions. He shows anger at times, but they are in appropriate places with more or less appropriate responses. 

The Desert stands out so much because Aang loses the control he normally has. This is where we see him lose his grip on himself and he spirals.

He rarely shows grief. During his lessons with the Guru he passes all the chakras with amazing ease because he legitimately is that good at controlling and managing emotions which, like I said at the very beginning, I attribute a lot of that to him being raised by monks. I mean, he's a 12 yr old who is skilled in meditation. I don't think it's a stretch to think the monks taught him other such things.

He doesn't react to small things that would normally piss people off. Examples include The Headband when he gives absolutely zero shits about the bully, and The Southern Raiders where he accepts Katara trying to steal Appa and doesn't react to Zuko mocking him and his culture. 

Aang also, paradoxically, can be pretty good at expressing emotions when he needs to. He's typically very emotionally intelligent, with the exception being pretty much any trauma. He will react to basic things in the moment and is unafraid to show frustration or anger or uncertainty, as long as it's Not connected to a thing he is distinctly Not thinking about.

And one of the most damning examples of his emotional regulation skill, that is actually the scene that started me thinking about all of this, is the scene with Koh the Face Stealer. 

That scene threw me off so much because I felt like it was incredibly out of character for Aang, this incredibly expressive kid, to be able to show no emotional reaction. It didn't make sense and for a long time I dismissed it as just, the writers thought it'd be cool so he did it. But of course, I can't let things lay, so I never really stopped thinking about it until I realized, in context of everything I've talked about before, it actually makes perfect sense.

Aang is emotionally expressive by choice. He has the ability to control his emotions and responses to a ridiculous degree. He knows how to be emotionally intelligent with basic things, where to express emotion and how to do it. 

(Of course, he's not perfect. There are plenty of times he acts out, the Bato episode being the first thing to come to mind, but even there, after just a few hours, he has wrestled with his jealousy and responds appropriately to guilt, he owns up to it. He does try to explain himself but when Sokka makes it clear he's not going to listen, Aang does not continue to press the point. He accepts Sokka's decision, does not lash out, and for once doesn't shut down or exhibit happiness soon after. He is sad and expresses it without shoving his emotions onto others. For a 12 yr old, this is fucking impressive.)

Aang was taught well by the monks, but the one thing they couldn't teach him was response to trauma, and that's where he falters, but that emotional regulation means he's not going to respond in a typical way. Instead, he turns to denial as his coping mechanism of choice and uses those skills he learned to achieve a workable state of being but through unhealthy use.

Where am I going with this? Idk. Nowhere really, I just wanted to talk about Aang and psychology tbqh.

Anyway, I will finish this up by a fun delve into Things He's Probably Going To End Up Suffering From:

Denial can lead to memory blocking, where it's more than just not thinking about it, the brain actively suppresses and alters memory to cope. Adult Aang's recollection of the Ozai year is probably not going to be super accurate. Would not be surprised if someone was like “hey remember that time you were almost executed by a town for your past live’s mistakes?” and Aang just went “No???” and legit has no recollection of any such thing.

Selective numbing will eventually turn into collective numbing. You can selectively numb for a temporary period of time (which is how people fall into the trap) but eventually your brain will start to numb everything, not just the bad things. At the very least teenage Aang absolutely goes through a period of dissociative complete numbness.

Speaking of dissociation, if you're not going to react to trauma the normal way, dissociation happens. It starts as a coping mechanism but like with numbing, it cannot remain controlled and will develop into something. Aang will have a dissociative disorder, I'm telling you. Which one? Idk, but I assure you, it'll be there. I'm leaning toward some basic depersonalization/derealization and/or OSDD type four where trauma and meditation accidentally mix for the worse.

So yeah, there you go, a breakdown of Aang, his trauma responses, his emotional intelligence, and the consequences of those two things put together.

I'm gonna be a nerd here and add shitty citations but this is mostly in case you're also a psych geek and want to read things.

“What Are the Dissociative Disorders”. International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation.

“Developmental trauma: Conceptual framework, associated risks and comorbidities, and evaluation and treatment”. National Library of Medicine.

“What is Child Traumatic Stress”. The National Child Traumatic Stress Network.

[rarebird22]

Some insight on my personal religious beliefs and why I think some recent statements my church made are absolutely, mind-bogglingly WRONG:

(warning: there is, unfortunately, a lot of transphobic stuff in the publication my church made. I'm including my summary here for people who don't know about it, but it could possibly be triggering. if there's a better way I could be doing this, let me know. Basically they're choosing to make some dumb restrictions to trans people's participation in the church. It's unchristlike and I wanted to comment on it.)

(my comments are listed in parentheses. Everything else is quotes or summary.)

Potentially transphobic quotes start below:

“Gender is an essential characteristic in Heavenly Father’s plan of happiness. The intended meaning of gender in “The Family: A Proclamation to the World" is biological sex at birth.”

The church doesn’t have an official stance on why people experience gender dysphoria.  They make a separation between experiencing dysphoria and “identifying as transgender.”

“[Transgender people]—and their family and friends—should be treated with sensitivity, kindness, compassion, and Christlike love. All are children of God and have divine worth.”

(If this is true, why doesn’t this policy seem to show Christlike love and compassion?  Denying participation to some children of God doesn’t seem like what Heavenly Father would want, especially when the reason for the exclusion is an intrinsic part of someone’s identity.)

“Church leaders counsel against pursuing surgical, medical, or social transition away from one’s biological sex at birth.  Leaders advise that taking these actions will result in some Church membership restrictions.”

(I believe this policy in particular is incredibly harmful.  Many, many studies have shown the positive effect of transition on alleviating gender dysphoria, reducing symptoms of depression, and preventing suicide.  My own family members have explained how medical and social transition improved their mental health better than anything else they tried.  Just as appropriate medical care is important for the wellbeing of trans people, so too is a loving, supportive network of family and friends.  This policy sets up a false dichotomy between community support and personal authenticity, forcing trans church members to undergo incredible levels of distress as they decide between remaining as a fully participating member of the church or undergoing the changes that help them become who they truly are.)

According to the church handbook, anyone who has transitioned in any way cannot participate in saving ordinances, which are “received according to a person’s biological sex at birth.”  Exceptions can be made for baptism with the approval of the first presidency, but not for priesthood ordinances or temple recommends. The handbook also says that leaders should “address individual circumstances with sensitivity and Christlike love.”

(It is good to show Christlike love, but what freedom is there to lovingly address individual circumstances when this policy places such exclusionary limits on transgender individuals’ participation in the church?)

“Individuals who transition away from their biological sex at birth are welcome to attend sacrament meetings and participate in the Church in many other ways.”

The handbook’s recommendations for how trans people can participate include attending church meetings and activities, participating in family history work, and providing service to others.  The handbook then includes a link to a document with “guiding principles” for trans people’s participation in church.  The document lists that leaders should:  “Seek spiritual guidance; Treat individuals and their families with love and respect while teaching gospel truth; Consider the needs of the individual and other ward members; Ensure that the Church’s doctrine on gender is not undermined or misunderstood; Seek counsel [from other leaders]; and Involve the parents or guardians of minors.”

(The part about being careful not to undermine the Church’s doctrine on gender is what stands out to me and concerns me the most.  Based on this line, it seems to me like the primary purpose of all these changes is to maintain the church’s historically accepted norms.  Any search about the doctrine of gender within the church’s website will always lead to the same phrase: “Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose.”  Apparently this phrase is the church’s doctrine about gender.  That makes me wonder, though, because the Family Proclamation is a newer document that has an ambiguous state between scriptural canon and church policy.  Perhaps that phrase has been misinterpreted due to cultural lenses.)

The Guiding Principles document states that someone’s preferred name can be noted on their church membership record.  It also places restrictions on trans individuals’ participation in the church.  It says that people should attend the meetings, activities, and camps that match their biological sex at birth.  Some exceptions can be made for meetings and activities, but not for overnight camps.  In addition, youth who have transitioned in any way aren’t allowed to stay overnight at mixed-gender activities like youth conferences.  Trans people can’t hold callings that are gender-specific or involve caring for children or youth or teaching.  They are also asked to use a single-occupant restroom, a restroom that matches their assigned sex at birth, or be the only person in a restroom.

(All of these policies are problematic to me.  The policies about overnight activities feel exclusionary and could lead to ostracization of trans youth.  The policies about gendered activities and meetings feel like they place unnecessary emphasis on differences between men and women, which makes me uncomfortable.  The restriction against teaching makes me feel especially hurt and angry, because to me this is a silencing of trans voices.  This policy says “we do not want the perspectives of trans people to be shared in our church.”  And the restroom policy is based on outdated and unfounded fears that associate trans people with predatory behavior.  That’s a sad stereotype to perpetuate.)

4. My conclusion

(I don’t think these new changes live up to the Church’s ideals of showing Christlike love to everyone and inviting all to come unto Him.  While it doesn’t say so explicitly, the handbook seems to consider transgender identity as a personal label and choice.  Every trans person I’ve met says otherwise.  Being trans is a core part of so many people’s life experience.  While I, like the church, don’t know why some people are transgender, I do believe that trans people should be treated with the same dignity and respect as anyone else.  The church’s new policies seem to do the opposite, treating trans people as “other” and restricting their ability to participate in the church.  The church has already caused so much heartbreak and despair among trans people, who understandably see past and current policies as evidence that something is wrong with them.  As representatives of Christ, it is not appropriate to send that message - directly or indirectly.  Instead, the church should be focusing on how we can reflect the true nature of Jesus Christ.  He sacrificed his life to bring redemption and salvation to every single one of God’s children.  He spent his mortal ministry interacting with those who leaders of his time considered different or unworthy.  Every aspect of His life shows his infinite love.  If the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints truly wants to live up to His example, love and inclusion for ALL of God’s children - including trans people - is essential.)

[beguines]

A recent review of the science behind the psychiatric discourse concluded that "no biological sign has ever been found for any 'mental disorder.' Correspondingly, there is no known physiological etiology". This conclusion also became clear to the APA's own DSM-5 task force when they began work on the new manual in 2002. As Whitaker and Cosgrove record, in reviewing the available research evidence it was plain to the committee members that "[t]he etiology of mental disorders remained unknown. The field [of mental health] still did not have a biological marker or genetic test that could be used for diagnostic purposes." Furthermore, the research also showed that psychiatrists could still not distinguish between mentally healthy and mentally sick people, and consequently had failed to define their area of supposed expertise. This issue was recently highlighted with reference to comments made by Allen Frances, the chair of the previous DSM-IV task force. When the DSM-IV was published in 1994, it stated that "mental disorder" was "conceptualized as a clinically significant behavioral or psychological syndrome or pattern that occurs in an individual and that is associated with present distress (e.g., a painful symptom) or disability (i.e., impairment in one or more important areas of functioning) or with a significantly increased risk of suffering death, pain, disability, or an important loss of freedom".

However, as the architect of the DSM-IV, Frances was later quoted by Greenberg as stating of the above definition, "[h]ere's the problem . . . There is no definition of a mental disorder . . it's bullshit . . . I mean you can't define it." The lack of knowledge on mental health and illness has haunted the entire history of psychiatry. Some have dismissed critics who highlight this fundamental hole in the science of psychiatry as "antipsychiatry" or "mental illness deniers." Such attacks on scholars who attempt to investigate the accuracy of the central pillars of psychiatric knowledge should further concern us, as it perhaps signals that plenty in the profession are already aware of the flimsy nature on which their "expertise" continues to rest. Together with an understanding of the history of the psychiatric profession—summed up by Scull as "dismal and depressing"—I would argue that it should be the duty of all social scientists concerned with the mental health field that, in good conscience and putting the needs of the public first, they remain highly sceptical of a psychiatric discourse that poses as expert knowledge on the mind but produces little actual evidence to back up the assertions made.

Bruce M.Z. Cohen, Psychiatric Hegemony: A Marxist Theory of Mental Illness